Russia and India in Talks for Additional S-400 Missile System Deliveries

Moscow and New Delhi are in negotiations for additional deliveries of Russian S-400 long-range air defense systems, Russia’s Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSVTS) said Tuesday. The talks come as Moscow works to wrap up a landmark $5.4 billion contract signed in 2018. While Russia successfully delivered the first three S-400 systems by 2023, the remaining two have faced delays linked to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

FSVTS chief Dmitry Shugayev said last week that the outstanding deliveries are now back “on schedule,” with the final units expected to arrive this month and in November. “India has expressed interest in the delivery of an additional batch of these systems. Russia stands ready to fulfill this and the corresponding negotiations are underway,” FSVTS told the Interfax news agency. In March, India’s defense ministry said it had approved $25 billion in proposals to buy five more S-400 systems, as well as transportation aircraft and remotely piloted strike aircraft. The latest deals come amid a broader push to modernize India’s armed forces and reduce dependence on aging Soviet-era equipment, much of which remains in service decades after its introduction. India is the world’s second-largest arms importer. Over the past five years, it accounted for nearly half of Russia’s arms exports to its top three buyers, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). However, India has sought to diversify its defense purchases in recent years, increasingly turning to countries such as France, Israel, the United States and Germany for arms, while also seeking to expand domestic production and joint manufacturing with foreign partners. We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

Key points

• FSVTS chief Dmitry Shugayev said last week that the outstanding deliveries are now back “on schedule,” with the final units expected to arrive this month and in November.
• “India has expressed interest in the delivery of an additional batch of these systems.
• Russia stands ready to fulfill this and the corresponding negotiations are underway,” FSVTS told the Interfax news agency.
• In March, India’s defense ministry said it had approved $25 billion in proposals to buy five more S-400 systems, as well as transportation aircraft and remotely piloted strike aircraft.
• The latest deals come amid a broader push to modernize India’s armed forces and reduce dependence on aging Soviet-era equipment, much of which remains in service decades after its introduction.